Beat of a Breaking Heart
by dreamer.dancer.writer
Summary: Jesses trying to convince Kate to live, but when Annas in a major car accident, can his family find the strength to move on? Will Jesse ever be the same again, will Kate find the strength within her to move on? Crap summary I know, good story though R&R?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Woo another fanfic :D I am on a fanfic roll tonight! Anyway, not sure how long this one will be yet, but it will all be from Jesse's POV :D Third fanfic already, things are going well! Have so many ideas for others as well, shall start writing a couple more one shots soon, I like writing them :L  
>Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Honest 'guv.<br>Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Jesse sat at the foot of his younger sisters hospital bed, a place he thought no older brother should have to sit. He smiled carefully at her and relaxed a little when she gave him a weak smile back. Scooting up the bed a little, he grabbed hold of her hand and squeezed it tight.<p>

"It will be okay Kate, I promise. Anna will see sense, she has too" he told his sister, determination making his voice strong.

"But I don't want her to see sense Jesse, I don't want her to have to have the transplant. After all, I am dying anyway" replied his sister weakly. It broke Jesse's heart to see his beloved younger sister so weak and pale, lying in a hospital bed. Yes, when he was younger he had hated her and Anna for taking up so much of their parent's attention, but when it came to it, he loved them and their parents.

"But you're not dead yet Kate, you need to believe Anna will see sense and donate her kidney, you need to, you need to stay alive" Jesse told her desperately, trying to make Kate see the truth.

"Yes Jesse, but theres also a distinct possibility I might die on that operating table and then where would Anna be? Unable to lead a normal life because she donated a kidney, that's where" Kate replied bitterly.

"Kate please" Jesse pleaded with her, unable to stop a few tears falling down his cheeks. "If Anna does offer her kidney, even though she's won medical emancipation, you have to take it. I don't think I could bear it if you died, I couldn't bear it if either of you died. Look at it from my perspective Kate. I'm your older brother, I'm meant to be there to protect you from the world, to scare away boyfriends, to help you, to protect you, to make sure you're safe. And now, I can't do that for either of you and it scares me Kate. It scares me more than anything I've ever seen or done. Please Kate, if only for my sake, if and when Anna offers you that kidney, you take it and you grow up and live the life you were meant to. Please Kate" Jesse finished his little speech, tears now streaming down his face. Kate gazed up at him, her heart breaking to see her brother in this state.

She slowly nodded.

"For you Jesse, I will. But Anna might not even offer, it's a decision she now has to make on her own and she's only 13 Jesse. Please, if I take the kidney, you help her make her decision and support her as much as you're supporting me." Jesse nodded.

"It's a deal then Kate" he proclaimed and smiled at his sister. The two siblings lapsed into a comfortable silence, holding hands and just enjoying being in each other's company. After a while, Jesse shook his head and stretched.

"Suppose I'd better go and find out where Anna is, see if I can talk some sense into her" Jesse said and Kate mumbled a reply, starting to fall asleep. Jesse leaned over and planted a kiss on her forehead, before pulling up the blankets and walking out the room.

Striding through the corridors of the hospital, Jesse quickly ended up at the waiting room where his mother was sitting, staring into space.

"Mom, is Anna still at the court room?" his mother simply nodded. Jesse understood. She still wasn't quite sure how her baby, who she had created for the express reason of being a donor for Kate, had refused to donate her kidney. Jesse kissed his mothers cheek and walked away again with the idea of going outside the hospital to phone his youngest sister.

He walked through the corridors, not really paying attention to where he was going and ended up taking a wrong turn through the emergency room, where there seemed to be a big fuss. Jesse absently wondered who it was who was hurt enough to throw the emergency room into such a turmoil when he spotted his father. He quickly remembered his dad was the on-call firefighter that day and the fact that he was there probably meant he'd been called out and would know who it was. Jesse hastened over to his father.

"Dad, dad" he called. Brian turned around, his face white and taut with worry. Jesse stopped. Why was he looking that worried for some stranger? It must have been a really bad accident.

"Yes Jesse?" his dad asked, his voice shaky.

"Dad, who _is_ it in there? I haven't seen you look that worried since Kate's last relapse" Jesse asked, worry starting to show on his own face.

"Jesse, oh Jesse. It's Anna"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N second chapter, didn't actually mean to write this until I had some reviews but got slightly annoyed with my Mcfly fic as I kept accidentally closing the tab I was working in and losing the story, so decided to write this. Anyhow, if you are reading this please review, it truly does help.  
><strong>**Disclaimer: I own the plot, nothing else. That privilege goes to Jodi Picoult :D**

* * *

><p>Jesse stopped in his tracks, gaping at his father, not wanting to believe what he had just said. Anna, his vulnerable little sister Anna couldn't be in the emergency room creating such a fuss. It couldn't be, Jesse refused to believe it. But he had to know.<p>

"Anna?" he asked, his voice breaking on that one little word. "But how? When? Why?" Jesse added, his voice becoming louder and more desperate on each little cried question. Jesse's father Brian just shook his head numbly in reply. "Dad, please, you have to tell me. Will Anna be alright?" Jesse asked his most burning question shakily.

"She…Campbell…the emancipation hearing…Campbell's car…big truck…saw Anna…oh Jesse, she looked so dead and I don't know if she's going to be okay" Brian's voice broke and he sobbed and sobbed. From what Jesse had gathered from his father's broken statements Anna and Campbell had been in the car after Anna had won her emancipation meeting, had crashed into a big truck or lorry and Jesses dad had been the first firefighter on scene. Jesses heart broke for his father. Seeing a 13 year old in a car accident and having to cut them out must be horrifying enough, but when it's your own daughter? Jesse couldn't even begin to comprehend how his father must be feeling.

"C'mon Dad, let's go and sit down. Anna will be fine, she has to be" Jesse was telling himself this as much as his Dad and wanted to believe it. He slowly and carefully led his shaking, crying father to the seat nearest them and sat down next to him. They waited and waited, for what felt like an eternity before they heard a commotion at the door and looked up to see Jesse's mother Sara fly into the emergency room. Jesse stood up and ran to her.

"Mommy, mommy, oh please say she's going to be alright" Jesse, who hadn't called his mother mommy for over 10 years and hadn't cried for at least 8, flew into his mother's arms and broke down. She rubbed his hair and made soothing sounds.

"Jesse, Jesse darling, mommy can't promise anything, but Anna's a fighter. If anyone can pull through, it will be her" Sara led her 18year old back over to where her husband was and sat down next to him, pulling Jesse onto her lap and taking comfort in running her hand through his familiar, soft locks.

The family sat like that for a while longer, all crying and all not wanting to think about what they would do if the worst happened. After a couple hours, Campbell came limping over to them.

"Sara, Brian, Jesse, I'm so sorry. I promise, I didn't mean for this to happen, this big lorry just came out of nowhere and into the passenger side" Campbell said helplessly, beginning to cry.

"We know Campbell, this wasn't your fault. If we hadn't have pushed her into giving her kidney, she would never have filed for medical emancipation in the first place and we never would have got into this stupid, _stupid_ mess" Sara sniffed, taking all the blame.

"Sara, don't be stupid" Campbell said, almost angry now. "None of this was your fault, you didn't know Anna would file and we certainly didn't expect this to happen. Please don't blame yourself" Campbell pleaded.

"Campbell's right Mom. And Anna's definitely a fighter, she's the strongest person I know besides Kate and brave, much braver than I am. She has to pull through, she will pull through" Jesse said strongly, before crying again, harder than before. He cursed inwardly at this display of emotion, trying to be strong for his mother and father but finding it so hard. He knew he'd never had the inner strength of either of his sisters, had never needed to be strong. He'd always offloaded his feelings into setting fire to things, relishing in this release. He realized now of course that it was stupid and foolish, the cowardly way out. If he was strong, he would've let his feelings show.

Suddenly, a man in a white coat shouted above the noise in the emergency room.

"Family of Anna Fitzgerald?" he called and Brian, Sara and Jesse immediately rose and followed the man into a small office. Campbell trailed along behind, not wanting to intrude on the family but having to because he had power of attorney in these kind of situations.

"Mr and Mrs Fitzgerald, Jesse" the doctor started in a warm, kind voice. "There is no easy way to tell you this, so I'm just going to tell you straight out. Anna was badly injured in the crash with many internal injuries. These are easily fixable, but I'm sorry to tell you Anna suffered bad brain damage and as a result is brain dead" the Fitzgerald's and Campbell sat in a horrified silence. The doctor kindly gave them a while to take the shocking news in.

"B-b-brain dead?" Jesse eventually stuttered. The doctor nodded.

"I'm sorry Jesse" was all he said.

"But, but what happens now?" asked Campbell, beginning to take charge as he knew he had to.

"There are several choices" replied the kind doctor. "We can either leave Anna on the life support system she is on, though chance of recovery at this stage is very slight and would decrease the longer we left her. If she did by some miracle recover, the best case scenario would be that she would be severely brain damaged, but still functioning in some way. If this happened, she would require constant care for the rest of her limited life and would never be able to live a normal life again. Worst case scenario would be absolute brain damage and practically nothing would function normally. In both cases, Anna would never live a good life and would be trapped inside her mind, most likely paralyzed, unable to speak and have to rely on someone to cope with all her everyday needs. She would also be in severe pain and be very reliant on strong painkillers. The other option would be to turn her life support system off and let her die. As hard and cruel as this sounds, Mr and Mrs Fitzgerald, I would advise it as the best option for your daughter. I'll leave you for a bit to talk it all through" with that the doctor left the room.


End file.
